Professional Documents
Culture Documents
English Pronunciation
STRESS
and INTONATION
Part 1
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE
SER VICES
AMERICAN ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION:
A MANUAL FOR TEACHERS
Included in this manual are chapters d ealin g with:
language and speech habits and the difficulties
encountered in learn in g a second language;
sounds and associated symbols in English spelling
and stress; phonetic and phonemic transcription
and the relation o f the speech organs in pronun
ciation; various techniques to be used in teaching
English as a second language; phonological struc
ture o f Am erican English; a glossary o f technical
terms.
D rills and Exercises in
English Pronunciation
STRESS a n d I NT ONAT I ON
COLLIER-MACMILLAN INTERNATIONAL
A division of The Macmillan Company
COLLIER-MACMILLAN LIMITED
London
PREFACE
This book and its companion volume, Stress and Intonation, Pa rt 2, together with
Consonants and Vowels, constitute a series o f three drill books in English pronuncia
tion with the overall title D rills and Exercises in English Pronunciation. A ll three
books are accompanied by pre-recorded tapes, and American pronunciation is exem
plified throughout.
D rills and Exercises in English Pronunciation is intended for secondary school or
adult students who are learning English. The m aterial in this series is suitable for use
as a special course or as a supplement to a basic language program. The drills and ex
ercises are not graded as to difficulty; depending on need, they can be assigned for
work at elementary, intermediate, or advanced levels o f proficiency. The contents of
the three books are so organized that the teacher (or the student pursuing an inde
pendent course o f study) has convenient access to specific problem areas encountered
in the English sound system.
The material in this book is mainly devoted to givin g practice and drill on word
stress, including noun compounds, and word combination stress; that is, on the char
acteristic stress rhythm patterns that occur when words in various classes come
together: adjective and noun, noun and verb, etc. Stress and Intonation, P a rt 2, is
concerned with the placement o f the sentence or phrase stress in both contrastive and
non-contrastive (non-emphatic or "neutral ) situations. Various intonation patterns
are introduced in the drill books. An abundance o f drill material is included, but the
treatment o f the features o f stress and intonation cannot claim to be exhaustive in
that all possible phenomena in spoken English w ill be found exemplified. The two drill
books may be used independently or consecutively.
The introductory statement entitled "Study of Stress, Intonation, and Juncture out
lines in some detail, mainly for teachers, the premises upon which the drill books were
constructed and the frame used for presenting the drill material.
D rills and Exercises in English Pronunciation is one o f a series o f materials in
English as a second language created for the Collier-Macmillan English Program by
the Materials Development Staff of English Language Services, under the co-direction
of Edwin T. Cornelius, Jr., and W illard D. Sheeler. The author o f Stress and Intonation,
P a r t i, W illard D. Sheeler, expresses his appreciation to Dr. Kenneth Croft for reading
the manuscript and offering comments before publication, and to Earle W. Brockman
for his similar contribution and for his assistance with "Study o f Stress, Intonation,
and Juncture.
Ill
TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
Study of Stress, Intonation, and Juncture vii
1. Introduction
The English W riting System 1
Intonation
Declarative Intonation 2
Question Intonation 4
Stress 5
Stress and Intonation 6
6. Intonation (1)
Declarative Intonation 48
Question Intonation 55
9. In to n a tio n (2)
Tag Questions 72
Clauses 75
Counting 76
Listing 78
Common Phrases 79
Questions
Calling 81
Warning or Cautioning
W o rd L is t 107
K e y to E xercises 120
STUDY OF STRESS, INTONATION,
AND JUNCTURE
General Observations
A person who, let us say, understands French, can enter a crowded bus in N ew York
and, amid the general babble of English among the passengers, recognize that the
people three rows back are speaking French, even though he may not actually over
hear any single word clearly enough to say what the people are talking about. I f asked
how he could identify the language without hearing any words, he would probably
say, "W ell, it just sounded like French; I m sure thats the language they were speak
ing.
Why did it sound like French? It sounded that way because French, like all lan
guages, has its own distinctive melodies and rhythms, based on its intonation and
stress patterns. Its sentences end on certain characteristic "tunes, or sequences of
pitches; its words and phrases follow each other according to certain rhythmic stress
patterns and certain arrangements o f loud and soft syllables.
The lesson for learners of English or any language is that the intonation and
stress patterns of the new language are just as important as the sounds of the vowels
and consonants. It is just as necessary for the learner to achieve mastery of stress
and intonation, as it is for him to say each individual word properly, not only so that
hearers can understand him, but so that he can understand what he hears.
Both the word stress and the sentence stress must be properly placed if reliable
communication is to take place. Everybody knows that English has word stress, and
all students with any pretensions whatever to a speaking knowledge o f English have
been trained to say individual words properly. But there are stress patterns that go
beyond the word level. I f the student says "H e sees it , for instance, rather than the
vii
viii STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
normal "H e sees it, understanding will be difficult or perhaps, in the case of an
unsophisticated listener, impossible.
It may be that the stress system does not bear as great a functional load as other
parts o f the phonological system do. That is to say, stress, while unquestionably
phonemic (since it is not predictable), is usually not quite so critical to meaning as
certain other features are. For instance, the difference between a properly stressed
word (intelligible) and an improperly stressed one (intelligible') is most often the dif
ference between a proper English item and a non-existent one, rather than the differ
ence between two possible items (invalid, invalid).
Improper mastery o f stress and intonation contributes greatly to a "foreign accent
in English. The way that stress is used, and particularly the rhythm of the syllables
and the various intonation contours, are o f primary importance in giving English its
characteristic sound.
Stress is extremely important in signaling syntactic relationships in English. An
outstanding example is the matter o f noun compounding, and the learner should
develop good control o f phenomena like the difference between black bird (a bird that is
black, o f whatever species) and blackbird (one of the species that is so called, of what
ever colorperhaps a newly hatched chick or even an albino specimen that happens
to be white). Either word in the expression black bird can bear the primary stress,
depending on the context. Neutral: I saw a large black bird. Contrastive: I saw a black
bird, not a brown one. The word referring to the species, blackbird, must always have
the primary stress on the first syllable, while the second syllable has reduced stress
(tertiary in most peoples speech, occasionally secondary). There is no choice here;
blackbird is an inseparable compound, not an adjective-noun combination or phrase.
Example:
I saw a black bird, but it wasnt a blackbird.
Not all black birds are blackbirds.
Intonation contours have meanings, of course, though it is not always easy to state
exactly what these meanings are. Many observers are convinced that babies learn
intonation contours before they learn anything else in language, and dogs often seem
to respond to intonation rather than to individual words. We can tell from the intona
tion whether a speaker is asking a yes-no question or making a statement (Theyre
here. vs. Theyre here?)-, whether he has completed his statement, or whether there is
more to come; whether he is stating something categorically, with assurance, or
whether he is doubtful, hesitant, seeking corroboration; and whether he is expressing
impatience, disgust, or exasperation.
Although it is obvious to all language teaching experts today that the foreign learner
must be able to use and properly respond to the features of stress and intonation if he
is to be fully successful in his mastery of English, it is a fact that the teaching of stress
and intonation occupies a subordinate place in a great many classrooms. These features
are simply not taught with the same thoroughness, or given the same systematic treat
ment, as the consonants and vowels. Some of the reasons for this are quite obvious,
some less so.
STUDY OF STRESS INTONATION, AND JUNCTURE ix
As every teacher knows, the English writing system, aside from the few unreliable
clues furnished by the punctuation and the occasional use o f special type to represent
emphasis, does not represent stress or intonation in any way at all. In order to repre
sent these features, additional markings are needed over and above the regular orthog
raphy. Since most text materials are printed in ordinary orthography, neither the
teacher nor the student can count on much guidance from them, insofar as stress and
intonation are concerned. Not only are intonation and stress markings difficult and
expensive to print, but they also clutter up the page with markings that the student
does not recognize as English, has to have special training in interpreting, and is likely
to resent as an intrusion when he is already faced with the difficult task o f learning to
read a foreign language.
Another reason for the lack of emphasis on stress and intonation in many classes is
that the teacher has not had the opportunity to become acquainted with an analysis
or description of these phenomena in scientific terms. It is difficult to deal with intona
tion (stress is a bit easier, but not much). Describing an intonation contour in words is
just about as difficult as describing a melody without actually singing it. A musician
can write it out in notes, which another musician can look at and understand, but a
person not specially trained in music, even though he might be able to sing a melody
perfectly, could never describe it to another person in such a way that the other person
could also sing it. He could only say, "It sounds like this, sing the tune, and then have
the other person imitate it. This is the way intonation is handled in most instances,
of course. The teacher, in common with all speakers o f English, uses and responds to
the stress and intonation systems completely, with all their subtleties (subject to the
peculiarities of dialect), but with most speakers these features function below the "level
of awareness , as the anthropologists say. By this we mean that these things operate
without conscious choice or deliberate manipulation by the speaker; the speaker says
something in a certain way, not because he chooses to say it that way, but simply be
cause "thats the way to say it. N ot many speakers, unless they have had special
linguistic training, have any objective knowledge o f intonation and stress phenomena,
other than the obvious matter o f the correct placement o f word stress. They may be
aware that punctuation changes the "tone o f voice in some way, but that is about
all. On the other hand, almost all educated speakers are very much aware o f con
sonants and vowels and have usually paid them a great deal o f attention (however
unscientifically in many cases) in connection with learning to read and spell.
Despite what has just been said, stress and intonation are widely taught. Since it is
impossible to say anything in English without stress and intonation, the use o f the
live, spoken language automatically involves the use of these features. No matter
what the model is (live teacher, tape, etc.), the student is given specimens o f stress and
intonation features for imitation, along with the vowels and consonants and gram
matical patterns. This kind o f learning through exposure and imitation is normally
found in classrooms using the oral-aural method. In the hands o f experienced and
knowledgeable teachers, this is undoubtedly the best way to teach stress and intona
tion.
I f a generalization is at all possible, it appears that in teaching stress, attention is
almost universally paid to two important features: word stress and sentence stress.
X STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Rare is the teacher, however inexperienced, who does not make corrections in these
two areas o f pronunciation from the first day onwards. Most vocabularies and dic
tionaries, too, indicate word stress as a matter o f course. W ith regard to intonation,
those who teach it usually single out two patterns without fail: the declarative sen
tence pattern, which is identical with the question-word question pattern (H es here,
Whats your name?), and the yes-no question pattern, with rising intonation (Is he
here?). This is about as far as most textbooks go, however.
It is the purpose o f Stress and Intonation, Parts 1 and 2 to provide a great deal more
drill than is usually made available and to treat aspects o f both stress and intonation
that are not usually covered in conventional English courses. Part 1 concentrates on
word stress and on what might be called "word-combination stress; that is, on the
characteristic stress rhythm patterns that occur when words o f various classes come
together, such as adjective and noun, noun and verb, verb and adverb, etc. Part 2 is
concerned with phrase or sentence stress, in both contrastive and non-contrastive
("neutral ) situations. A variety o f intonation patterns, also, are introduced in the
two drill books.
The following brief discussion outlines the analytical framework within which the
drill materials have been constructed and presented.
A sentence is understood to be an utterance bounded by silence at either end which
is spoken as, and felt to be, a complete unit by a speaker. (He was not interrupted in
the middle, nor did he stop before he had finished.) Every sentence has at least one
phrase, but may have more than one.
Pitch and intonation. There are four pitch levels, mutually contrasting phonemically,
called respectively, beginning with the lowest, pitch 1, pitch 2, pitch 3, and pitch 4.
Pitch levels are relative, not absolute. An intonation pattern is a sequence o f one or
more pitches together with a phrase-ending contour. Intonation patterns are repre
sented graphically by a heavy dark line superimposed on four horizontal lines printed
above a text in regular orthographic symbols, much like a musical staff with words
underneath.
(1) A rise in pitch. The rise occurs on the last syllable, and reaches a point below
the next higher pitch. The rise is represented in the drill material by a rising
arrow:
(2) A fading away into silence, not accompanied by a terminal rise. There is often a
fall in pitch, especially i f the phrase ends on pitch 1. The fading away is repre
sented by a break or space between the four horizontal lines, and the absence of
an upturned arrow.
(3) A slowing down, or sustension o f the voice, not accompanied by a pitch rise or a
fading away. This kind o f phrase-ending contour has been described as a "shifting
o f gears. A dotted vertical line is used to represent this contour.
Can you see, Jane? John cant go, but B ill can.
One other convention is used in the drill materials. It does not represent a fourth
terminal contour, but rather contour (1) above when it is not final in the sentence or
x ii STRESS AND IN T O N A T IO N PART 1
utterance. The rising arrow and the dotted vertical line are both used in such cases,
as in the following examples:
A note on open juncture. This phenomenon is not specifically drilled in Stress and
Intonation, Parts 1 and 2, but some examples of it are given in Consonants and Vowels.
It is part o f the English prosodic system and needs to be mentioned. I f spoken English
models are provided, the student will automatically get practice in using it. So-called
open juncture, sometimes called "plus-juncture (from the habit o f some linguists of
indicating it in their transcriptions by a plus sign) or even just "juncture, is the
phonological signal that separates items like an aim and a name, or night rate and
nitrate, to use two examples that have become classic. The phonetic nature of the
feature is quite complex, but the point is that all English speakers are aware that
there is something that "keeps words apart in English utterances. A great many
other languages in the world have no such feature at all. It has been said that in
ordinary fast speech, the syllables follow each other in French and Spanish with no
regard for word boundaries at all.
SPECIAL NOTES
Regular English orthography is used in the two drill books, except for a few instances
(Section 11, Part 1). A key to the symbols used is given on page xix, Part 1. Although
the use o f regular orthography presents some minor difficulty in marking stresses over
vowel nuclei, as well as with syllabification, there are obvious advantages in not intro
ducing a transcription system. Regular dictionary rules are followed in syllabifying
words, even when such division does not exactly match the phonetic facts.
Almost anything in English can be correctly intoned and stressed in more than one
way, especially when several dialects are involved. What has been done in these books
is to select one possibility hopefully, the most frequent or most likely oneand give
extensive drill on it. For example, noun compounds are presented as having primary-
tertiary stress (blackbird, blackboard, etc.). It is understood that the second element
of the compound may have secondary stress in the speech of many persons (blackboard),
or that the stress of the second element may vary unpredictably between tertiary and
STUDY OF STRESS, INTONATION, AND JUNCTURE XV
secondary (blackbird, blackboard), and that the second element is especially likely
to have secondary stress i f either element in the compound has more than one syllable
(vegetable garden). These matters are not very important in the context of these drill
books. The important thing for the student is that the major stress must occur on the
first element and that such items as greenhouse and green house must be distinguished.
I f he makes the last two syllables in the following sentences homophonous, it doesnt
matter; there are many English speakers who do the same:
fts riot a white house; Its a green house.
We grow flowers In the greenhouse.
However, if the student stresses (and uses high pitch on) the last syllable o f the follow
ing sentence, he has made a mistake:
Wrong: Keep the flowers In the greenhouse.
It is extremely difficult to distinguish with certainty between two adjacent stresses
in certain environments. One is often hard put to it to decide whether a stress is weak
or tertiary, tertiary or secondary, or even secondary or primary. In many cases, for
tunately, it is not crucial to decide. Although certain stresses are indicated in the text
books as occurring with certain grammatical categories, the student is not asked to
distinguish between them in the exercises. N or is any particular advantage seen in
having students mark sentences or passages for stress and intonation. The important
and most useful thing is to drill items that are problems for learners, such as the loca
tion o f the high pitch and primary stress in sentences like these:
I can do it.
Shes taller than I/am.
He was honest about it.
In addition, students should be corrected at all times when they make mistakes in
either stress or intonation.
Pre-recorded Tapes
Pre-recorded tapes accompany each o f the drill books. Each tape is twenty to thirty
minutes in length. These tapes are recorded on 5 inch reels at 3^ ips. In the main, items
are given for listening practice and for repetition practice. The tapes must not be
considered a substitute for the teacher, since only the teacher can isolate problems,
make explanations when needed, make corrections, and conduct drill. The tapes can
help the teacher by providing endless drill, repeating the material tirelessly and with
out change. Part o f the students problem, too, is learning to hear differences. After
having careful attention called to certain matters, he then needs to listen. The tapes
can be extremely helpful in this respect.
Word List
A t the end o f Section 11 is a word list, giving numerous examples o f words with
various stress patterns. It is difficult to find such lists o f words, and this one is pre
sented for the convenience o f teachers who may want to construct their own drills on
XVI STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
certain patterns or who may need additional examples to use in class. The suggested
words can be used as a start and then filled in with examples o f the teachers own
choosing if he wishes.
Vowel Sounds
Consonant Sounds
XVII
1. INTRODUCTION
This book w ill give you practice drill with two aspects o f English speech stress and
intonation. Team ing to manipulate these two features w ill improve both your speech
and your comprehension o f spoken English.
Written English consists mainly o f letters which represent the consonant and vowel
sounds o f spoken English. As you know, the w riting system is not very consistent in
the way it represents the speech sounds o f English. W ritten English gives very little
help with either stress or intonation. There are a few punctuation marks which give
clues to stress and intonation, such as the period (.) (you stop speaking); the comma (,)
(usually a slight hesitation); the question mark (?) (a question with a rising or falling
voice); and the exclamation point (!) (a word in the sentence is emphasized), and two
or three others. Aside from these few punctuation marks, which in themselves are not
always reliable guides, there is nothing else in the w riting system that shows how to
say something with the proper stress and intonation.
In this book we shall use some marks and lines to represent both stress and intona
tion, and give you ample opportunity to drill and practice the features of both systems.
Intonation
Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice. Intonation can make a difference in mean
ing. For example, if you say Hes coming with a falling voice at the end, you are making
a statement. I f you say it with a rising voice, you are asking a question.
Statement Question
Hes coming. H es coming?
1
2 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
There are four levels which we use when speaking. We shall represent these levels
by four horizontal lines. Each line w ill represent a level. The lowest is pitch level 1.
The highest is pitch level 4.
4 ________________________________________
3 ________________________________________
2 _________________________________
1 ________________________________________
Declarative Intonation
= :
broth- i
er
J_j
Here are a few more sentences which we would say in the same way.
He is my father.
Helens my sister.
They are his parents.
I need a haircut.
Instead of musical notes, we shall in this book use a heavy dark line to indicate
intonation.
\ troth-
John is my
er
Here are some more sentences which would be said in the same way.
-
He is my father.
Helens my sister.
She is my mother.
They are my parents.
INTRODUCTION 3
Many times the voice does not step down as is shown above. It often glides down.
For example, if the last word has only one syllable, it would look like this:
Bill is my en<K
Bill is my friend.
Bill is my friend.
John is a boy.
Marys a girl.
This is my book.
I have a car.
Practice Sentences
Practice saying these sentences. Begin on pitch level 2. Go to pitch 3 on the syllable
that is italicized, and then go down to pitch level 1.
1 have a brother.
She has a sister.
I need some paper.
He has a pencil.
We want to study.
Now practice these sentences which glide down rather than step down.
He is my friend.
She is a nurse.
This is a pen.
That is a book.
I have a car.
4 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Sentences which begin with question words are said in the same way. The question
words include: who, what, when, where, why, which, how long, how far, etc.
I f the last word has more than one syllable, then your voice steps down.
Question Intonation
Another common intonation is one in which the voice rises at the end. In this kind
of question, we begin on pitch level 2. The voice goes to pitch 3 and then continues to
glide a little higher.
I f we use musical notes, the sentences below would look like this:
er
broth-
Is he your brother?
Is she your sister?
Are they his parents?
Do you need paper?
Have you seen Helen?
We shall use a line, again, to indicate the levels of the voice. To show the little rise
at the end of the question, we shall use a small arrow pointing upwards to indicate
that the voice goes a little higher than the pitch 3 level.
Is he your brother?
Is she your sister?
Are they his parents?
Do you need paper?
Have you seen Helen?
INTRODUCTION 5
We shall use the same kind o f line with an arrow when the word ends in one syl
lable.
Stress
Stress is the degree of loudness or force with which syllables are spoken in English.
Every word in English is made up of one or more syllables. Here are a few examples.
one syllable two syllables three syllables
go go-ing re-mem-ber
come com-ing con-tin-ue
book pa-per cal-en-dar
s
se e
ee vis-it vis-it-ing
6 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
I f you wish to know how many syllables a word has, the best place to look is in the
dictionary. A ll dictionaries divide words into syllables.
When a word has two syllables, one syllable is always said louder than the other.
Here are some examples.
going go-ing go is louder than ing
study stud-y stud is louder than y
pencil pen- cil pen is louder than cil
paper pa-per pa is louder than per
ago a -go go is louder than a
above above bove is louder than a
again a-gain gain is louder than a
I f a word has three syllables, one syllable is always louder than the other two.
remember re-mem-ber mem is louder than re and ber
continue con-tin-ue tin is louder than con and ue
agreement a-gree-ment gree is louder than a and ment
calendar cal-en-dar cal is louder than en and dar
The loudest or strongest stress is called primary stress. We shall use a little mark
over the syllable with the loudest stress to indicate that this is the syllable with pri
mary stress.
go-ing stud-y re-mem-ber con-tin-ue a-go a-bove a-gain
The softest or weakest stress is called weak stress. W e w ill use a small dot over the
syllables that have weak stress.
/
go-ing stud-y re-mem-ber con-tin-ue a-go a-bove a-gain
In English every word has one primary stress when it is spoken in isolation; that is,
if only the one word is spoken. You can find the primary stress of a word by looking
in any English dictionary. When two or more words are spoken in a phrase, however,
only one of the words retains its primary stress. The primary stresses of the other
word or words in the phrase are reduced. In this book we shall mark four different
degrees of loudness. The two loudest stresses we shall call primary stress and sec
ondary stress. These are major stresses. The two weaker stresses are called tertiary
stress and weak stress. These are minor stresses. We shall use marks above the syl
lables to indicate different stresses, as follows:
Type Name o f Stress Symbol Example
Primary Stress ' Its a black book.
Major Stress
Secondary Stress fts a black book.
We shal l not always mark the intonation in this book. I f a word or sentence is not
marked, you should use the declarative intonation when reading or practicing. In the
declarative intonation your voice begins on the pitch 2 level. Everything is said on the
2 level until you reach the primary stress. On the syllable with primary stress your
voice rises to the 3 level. Following this syllable, your voice either steps down or
glides down to pitch level 1 where the remainder o f the word or sentence is spoken.
Here are a few examples of the declarative intonation.
I______
pen dinner hospital naturally professor
house breakfast elephant usually Italian
come English carpenter actually direction
go lesson fluently personally tomorrow
You are now ready to begin section two.
2. WORD STRESS (1)
First listen to the words and sentences; then repeat them. Change the article a to
an wherever necessary in the drills.
Drill A
Drill B
/ / /
Drill C
Drill D
/ f t
/
6. ' 7. ' * 8. 9. * '
car hello professor community immediately
boy asleep Italian material occasionally
do Japan direction experience approximately
know ago tomorrow development considerably
Spain result important emergency cooperative
one today eleven ability mysteriously
here above preparing B olivia exceptionally
Drill E
Drill F
/
What does he do? Hes a professor. policeman photographer
reporter stenographer
musician philosopher
mechanic astronomer
10 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Drill G
/
W hats that? Its a machine. boat machine tomato
car parade banana
bus sedan diploma
bank alarm piano
spoon guitar eraser
key surprise potato
check report recorder
Drill H
/ / / /
pen pencil machine elephant decision experiment
book table guitar animal banana discovery
coat picture surprise formula eraser thermometer
Drill I
Drill J
H es German.
/ /
French Spanish Indian Malayan Bolivian
Greek English Libyan Italian Colombian
Thai German Mexican Egyptian Peruvian
Dutch Russian Chilean Moroccan American
WORD STRESS (1) 11
There are a few pairs of words in English which are pronounced almost the same ex
cept for their stress. Below are a few words o f this kind. Those in the left column are
verbs. Those in the right column are nouns.
/ /*
record record
present present
rebel rebel
desert desert
Exercise 1
Below is a list o f words. Listen to them and decide in which column they belong ac
cording to the kind o f stress they have.
/ /
1. angry angry
2. above above
3. professor professor
4. belief
5. decided
6. wanted
7. movie
8. hotel
9. enjoy
10. example
11. remembered
12. people
13. forget
14. because
15. roses
Exercise 2
One of the words below does not have the same stress as the others. Can you tell
which one it is?
example gentleman
conductor preparing
Kentucky
The one that is different i s ---------------------- -
12 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Below are pairs o f words. Listen carefully and decide whether they have the same
stress pattern or whether the stress patterns are different.
1. refer
reefer
2. table
pencil
3. professor
architect
4. accept
accent
5. comforting
exciting
6. amusing
important
7. winter
weather
Exercise 5
Listen to these words. Put a circle around the syllable which has the primary stress.
1. money (mon>ey ii. continue con-tin-ue
2. perhaps perhaps) 12. industrial in-dus-trial
3. selection se-lec-tion 13. happily hap-pi-ly
4. temperature tem-per-a-ture 14. because be-cause
5. after af-ter 15. fortunately for-tu-nate-ly
6. permit per-mit 16. nothing noth-ing
7. employment em-ploy-ment 17. amusing a-mus-ing
8. marvelous mar-vel-ous 18. possibly pos-si-bly
9. modem mod-ern 19. deter de-ter
10. perishable per-ish-a-ble 20. conclusion con-clu-sion
WORD STRESS (1) 13
The words in this section have tertiary stress as well as primary and weak. Tertiary
stress is spoken a little louder or with a little more force than weak stress. W e shall
use a very short line above the syllable to indicate tertiary stress.
Listen to the words below and imitate them as closely as you can, paying particular
attention to the stress patterns.
Drill A
Drill B
^ - - 1 1_____ -
Whos that? Thats Barbara. Angela Annabelle
Barbara Genevieve
Catherine Hildegarde
Beatrice Josephine
Drill C
/ - / -
telephone telephoning
emphasize emphasizing
operate operating
supervise supervising
occupy occupying
simplify simplifying
classify classifying
14 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Drill D
Below are some pairs o f related words. Notice the different stress patterns. Note
also that there is a difference in the last vowel o f each pair.
'
- /
5. ' 6. ' * 7. " * ' * *
almost understand information nationality
Chinese engineer education secretarial
engrave Japanese occupation cafeteria
routine guarantee engineering university
northeast souvenir Argentina satisfactory
southwest lemonade invitation hippopotamus
fourteen employee mathematics anniversary
eighteen Congolese population Ecuadorian
fifteen seventeen transportation Ethiopian
Drill E
- ' / - / *
Drill F
T
/ - /
Drill G
thirty thirteen
forty fourteen
fifty fifteen
sixty sixteen
eighty eighteen
ninety nineteen
There are many different word stress patterns which include a tertiary stress.
Below are examples of some o f the patterns in which the primary stress comes at or
near the beginning o f the word.
9. '
translator automobile patriotism
located characterize characterizes
library alienate capitalizes
11 . 12.
appreciate appreciated
aristocrat refrigerator
dissatisfy imaginary
The patterns below all have a tertiary stress which comes before the primary stress.
13. 14. 15.
idea geography examination
translation spectacular pronunciation
northeastern transparency communication
19. 20. 21 .
unintelligible recommendation educationist
conversationalist mathematician inspirational
22.
impossibility
16 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Exercise 1
Below are words o f three syllables. Can you tell where the primary stress is?
first syllable second syllable third syllable
1 . understand understand
2. northeastern northeastern
3. telephone telephone
4. library
5. seventeen
6. infection
7. hemisphere
8. emphasis
9. multiply
10 . idea
1 1 . introduce
12 . realize
13. disbelieve
14. televise
15. unfeeling
Exercise 2
Below are five words. One o f them has a different stress pattern from the others.
Can you find it?
1. designate 3. Portuguese 5. terrified
2. emphasize 4. disregard The word that is different i s -----------------------
Exercise 3
Put a circle around the syllable which has the primary stress.
1 . convenient con-(ven)-ient 9. sixteen six-teen
2 . appreciated ap{gre>ci-at-ed 10. imagination im-ag-i-na-tion
3. orchestra or-ches-tra 11. stimulating stim-u-lat-ing
4. pronunciation pro-nun-ci-a-tion 12 . revolutionized rev-o-lu-tion-ized
5. industrious in-dus-tri-ous 13. remarkably re-mark-a-bly
6. principal prin-ci-pal 14. sixty six-ty
7. recreation rec*re-a-tion 15. perfectly per-fect-ly
8. opportunity op-por-tu-ni-ty
WORD STRESS (1) 17
Exercise 4
Each o f the pairs o f words below has the same number o f syllables. Is the primary
stress o f each pair on the same or on a different syllable?
Same Different
1 . machine
picture
2 . telephone
understand
3. dictionary
television
4. above
early
5. diplomat
engineer
6. forty
fourteen
7. coming
working
8. telephone
operate
9. emphasizes
exercises
10. ago
above
1 1 . arriving
department
12 . understand
diplomat
13. calendar
remember
14. Africa
Alaska
15. result
machine
16. obey
study
17. information
necessary
18 STRESS A N D INTONATION PART 1
18. weather
summer
19. mistake
error
20. material
experience
21. telephone
televise
22 . animal
direction
23. experience
information
24. electrician
electrical
25. mechanical
mechanizes
Exercise 5
Pronounce the words below with the proper stress. A ll o f these words are from the
drill material.
Drill A
^ 1 I__
W hat did you buy? I bought some popcorn. ice skates
popcorn
school books
washcloths
light bulbs
g olf clubs
Drill B
- - 1 I_______
W hats the matter? I have an earache. toothache
earache
backache
headache
head cold
chest cold
Drill C
1 [ _ /
Does he go to school? Yes. He goes to high school. high school
grade school
night school
day school
Drill D
.......I "I - / -
Drill E
T
When either or both parts o f a noun compound have more than one syllable, the
noun compound still has the same basic stress pattern o f primary-tertiary. That is,
the first word of the compound has primary stress on one o f the syllables; the loudest
stress of the second word is tertiary stress.
3. , . -
apple tree newspaper
weatherman typewriter
grammar book post office
grocery store bus driver
fountain pen schoolteacher
water glass grandfather
pocketknife ink bottle
dining room fire engine
tennis ball wastebasket
summertime gas station
Drill F
1i ^
I bought some pineapples. I got them at the grocery store.
tea biscuits. I got them at the pastry shop.
beef liver. I got it at the butchers shop.
Drill G
' / - / -
Does she need a soup spoon? soup spoon sugar bowl cream pitcher
soup bowl salad fork meat platter
steak knife water glass salt shaker
wineglass tablecloth breadbasket
teapot dinner plate soup ladle
teaspoon butter knife cake server
22 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Drill H
Drill I
' / / -
bookstore barbershop electric shop
drugstore swimming pool department store
lunchroom coffee shop amusement park
toy store candy store tobacco shop
shoe store hobby shop appliance store
WORD STRESS (2) 23
Drill J
Drill K
Drill L
' ' -
Drill M
' t
Below are examples o f noun compounds with more elaborate stress patterns. Note
that the first word o f the compound always has a primary stress.
/ /
9. 15.
police department arithmetic lesson
police equipment
16.
research department
vocational school
10. ' * * / -
17.
smoking tobacco
furniture company
dental appointment
' >
Spanish professor 18.
/ construction company
11.
detective story 19.
committee m eeting theater tickets
employment office
20.
12 . ' * population growth
orchestra conductor ' - -
21 .
hospital attendant
television set
history professor
-' -
/ t 22.
13.
geography teacher
air conditioning
fire extinguisher 23.
/ engineering office
14.
/ "
reception committee 24.
library book
Exercise 1
In the following list there are two that are not noun compounds. You can tell by the
stress. Can you find them?
1. drugstore 4. toothpaste 7. high school 10. mailbox
2. horse race 5. blackbird 8. campfire
3. haircut 6. red shoes 9. wool suit
Exercise 2
These are noun compounds which have not been used in this lesson. See if you can
say them correctly the first time.
1 . mail truck 8. plane trip 15. movie star
2 . shoelaces 9. travel agency 16. drinking fountain
3. milk bottle 10 . passport 17. heating system
4. bookkeeper 1 1 . storybook 18. sunrise
5. tiepin 12 . beauty parlor 19. wrapping paper
6. doorbell 13. road map 20. earthquake
7. sweetheart 14. birthplace
WORD STRESS <2) 26
Exercise 3
Below is a list o f words. Some of them are noun compounds and some are not. Listen
carefully to your teacher or to the tape and mark the primary stress o f each one.
Remember, in a noun compound, there is only one primary s tress-on the first part.
1 . engineer 7. classroom 13. Spanish 19. sixteen
2. police car 8. water glass 14. suitcoat 20. news reporter
3. candy 9. animal 15. appreciate 21 . education
4. barbershop 10. fire prevention 16. sixty 22. furniture company
5. umbrella 11. exercise 17. tablecloth 23. employment
6. Japan 12 .bus driver 18. machine 24. electricity
25. office manager
Exercise 4
The noun compounds below are all from the drill m aterial o f this lesson. T ry to read
each one correctly.
1 . classroom 6. shoe store 1 1 . summertime 16. fire department
2. haircut 7. mailman 12 . movie theater 17. election year
3. wristwatch 8. w riting paper 18. car mechanic 18. department store
4. headache 9. newspaper 14. toilet articles 19. population growth
5. high school 10. English teacher 15. barbershop 20. engineering office
Exercise 5
Fill the blanks with noun compounds made from the two italicized words.
Example: A store which sells drugs is a drugstore.
1. A store which sells groceries is a __________ _
2. A ball used in bowling is a __________ _
3. A man who delivers m ail is a __________ .
4. A knife used for butter is a ___________
5. A coat you wear in the rain is a ___________
6. A store which sells candy is a __________ _
7. A store which sells furniture is a ___________
8. Water which is good for drinking is called___________
9. Paper used for wrapping things is called__________ _
10. Equipment used on a farm is __________ _
11. A stamp used for postage is a ___________
12. A theater which shows movies is a __________ _
13. A box in which you keep bread is called a ___________
14. A pot used for making coffee is a ___________
15. A train which carries passengers is a ___________
16. A man who makes repairs is called a ___________
17. A car which runs on cables is called a ___________
26 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
In previous sections we studied word stress. In this and succeeding sections we w ill
have practice with word combination stress.
When two or more words are used together in a phrase, only one o f the words retains
its primary stress. For example, here are some one-syllable words, each o f which has
primary stress when spoken as a single word.
my
his
book
car
If we combine the words into phrases, we have:
my book
his car
In these phrases, book and car are said with a louder stress than the words my and
his. The stress pattern o f the word combination is tertiary-primary.
my book
his car
In the two sentences below, you w ill notice that the primary stress o f the nouns
lesson and dictionary has become secondary stress.
stress (either tertiary or weak). Although the function words are few in number, they
are extremely common in speech. One very important aspect o f learning to speak
English well is the mastery o f the use o f the minor stresses in English. You will prob
ably not have much success in improving your speech by learning rules. The most suc
cess w ill come after practicing and im itating to the best o f your ability. The drill
material which follows w ill give you the opportunity for a great deal of organized
practice.
This section o f the book presents drill material on certain grammatical categories
which are regularly reduced to a minor stress when in combination with other kinds
o f words.
The primary stress o f words in this section usually becomes tertiary stress.
- / - '
1. 2.
I came I studied theyre finishing
she sings we waited I visited
we swim you promised shes wondering
you know theyre coming were visiting
I ve taught shes worried hes worrying
shes gone hes w aiting theyre traveling
- / /
4, 5.
I forget they remember were continuing
we began hes deciding hes examining
theyve arrived he commanded shes remembering
7. 8.
they understand he translates we telephoned
she overslept they export she realized
theyre guaranteed he broadcasts theyve operated
- /
10. 11.
she realizes he appreciates he appreciated
theyre telephoning they participate they participated
Possessive*
Practice Sentences
1. Shes my friend. 6. Its my occupation.
2. Fts their farmhouse. 7. I t s her wristwatch.
3. Theyre his parents. 8. Its your turn.
'
4. Hes my science teacher. 9. Shes my teacher.
5. Hes our professor. 10 . Its our high school.
Titles
/ / t
1. 2. 3. 4.
Miss Jones Miss Baker Miss Ham ilton Mr. Black
Miss Hall Miss Porter Miss Sheridan Mrs. Young
Dr. Smith
5. 6. 7. 8.
Mr. Griffith Mr. Harrison Mr. Rinaldi Mr. Ridgeway
Mrs. Harris Mrs. Robinson Mrs. Santini Mrs. W arfield
Dr. Parker Dr. Emery Dr. McCallum Dr. Skidmore
9. 10. 11.
President Taft President Johnson President Kennedy
General Kim President Hoover President Jefferson
Admiral W hite
Prepositions
1. 2.
in class by taxi
in time by letter
in school for Helen
at home for Henry
at noon with Mary
at work
by bus 3. ~ -
by train by airplane
by car on horseback
with John by steamship
for B ill by streetcar
Drill A
Drill B
Drill C
These include: be, have, can, could, may, might, shall, will, would, should, must
*In Questions (all modals and auxiliaries)
2. '
Can he come? A re they coming?
Was she here? Is she going?
Must you go? Are you reading?
Did you know? W ere they trying?
4. '
Do you remember? Is she studying?
A re they arriving? Are you listening?
Have you forgotten? Are they worrying?
W ere they agreeing? Is he bicycling?
In Affirmative Statements (all modals and auxiliaries except be and can)
Drill A
Special Expressions
Practice the expressions below until you can say them perfectly.
/
1. ' 2. 3. '
Good morning. Good night. Good afternoon.
Good evening. Good-bye.
' '
4. , 5.
How are you? Fine, thank you. How are you?
--- - /
6.
See you tomorrow.
Weak Stress
The Modal can
When used before verbs in affirmative statements, can is spoken with weak stress.
Can is pronounced /kan/; it is never pronounced /kaen/ before a verb unless it is
spoken that way for emphasis.
1. 2. 3.
I can go you can answer he can forget
he can swim she can study they can begin
you can try they can listen she can reply
4. 5.
you can continue we can broadcast
they can remember they can translate
we can examine he can export
b e -M a in Verb or Auxiliary (am, is, are, was, were)
In affirmative statements the forms o f be are almost always spoken with weak
stress, and often with a change in the vowel. Are, for example, is usually pronounced
/or/ rather than /ar/.
32 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
When speaking, o f course, contractions are much more commonly used than the full
forms o f be. Were coming /wTr kamlq/ is more common than We are coming /wly or
kem ig /.
The Pronoun It
When used after a verb, the pronoun it is almost always pronounced with weak stress,
and it is usually pronounced as if it were a final syllable o f the verb. Listen carefully
to the examples and imitate them as closely as you can.
6.
/
10. 11.
/ - / > /
9. ' 12.
appreciates it appreciated it recommend it recommended it
Drill A
/ - '
Drill B
I
/ / /
/
1. ' 2. 3.
a book a pencil a formula
a pen a table a theater
an ear an apple an elephant
an egg an orange an animal
the school the paper the director
the earth the engine the accident
some soup some glasses some articles
some fruit4 some sugar some furniture
4. ' 5.
a machine a banana a discovery
the guitar a tomato an experience
a surprise the eraser the experiment
the parade some equipment some Bolivians
34 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Below are examples o f articles before nouns with a tertiary stress, and before noun
compounds.
7. 8. * ' * 9. ' *
an athlete an exercise a dictionary
some contracts the telephone some territory
a railroad some tennis balls the flower garden
the schoolboys a grammar book some writing paper
13. 14.
some police equipment a detective story
the research department the employment office
- /
15. ' 16. 17.
some Chinese some education the university
the northeast an invitation an anniversary
the fourteenth the population an Ecuadorian
' - / . . - /
19. 20.
an examination an electrician an encyclopedia
a communication
some appreciation 21 . 22.
a recommendation an impossibility
* 9 ' 9 9 9
a conversationalist
1. " * ' 2.
in the house in the garden on the calendar
on the bus in a minute in the hospital
at the store on the ceiling at the theater
in a car4 for the doctor
4. ' 5. *
in the grammar book in an election year
in the summertime at the amusement park
in the dining room in a discussion group
WORD COMBINATION STRESS (1) 35
Practice Sentences
Major stress refers to the stresses that are the strongest, loudest or most prominent.
The two major stresses are primary and secondary stress.
There are certain classes o f words that have major stress. These are: ( 1 ) adjectives
(and other noun modifiers), (2) verbs, (3) nouns, (4) adverbs. I f these words do not re
ceive the primary stress o f a phrase, then their primary word stress is reduced, usually
to secondary stress. Syllables with secondary stress are spoken with slightly less force
or loudness than those with primary stress. Syllables spoken with secondary stress
are louder and slightly longer than those spoken with one o f the minor stresses-
tertiary or weak.
To indicate secondary stress we shall use a horizontal line that is longer than the
line we use for tertiary stress. Here are a few examples:
The book was long. ft was a long book.
The car was black. Its a black car.
I cant come. I cant come tonight.
They are leaving. They are leaving now.
Noun Modifiers
Adjectives and Numerals
1. ' 2. /
3.
long road long river new furniture
big house nice person good company
black shoes good sailor large continent
five schools black sweater big elephant
large farm one ticket wild animal
two chairs five towels new theater
nine books big office fine hospital
dark room good movie fine furniture
4. 5. 6. 7.
good mechanic good ability good athlete long boulevard
wrong direction long experiment fine program white telephone
two physicians new discovery bad contract large hemisphere
new equipment white thermometer good income new diplomat
old explorer good experience bad insult long exercise
36
WORD COMBINATION STRESS (2) 37
Practice Sentences
1 . Hes a nice person. 3. Its a fine hospital. 6. It was a long exercise.
Hes a good sailor. Hes a good mechanic. 7. W e were on a large farm.
4.
Its a long river.
5. It was a new discovery. 8. It was good experience.
2. Its a fa st train.
H es a tall boy.
Shes a fine girl.
The next group has adjectives of more than one syllable.
10.
/
12.
# /
13.
important book amusing story important department
exciting place delightful people exciting conclusion
delightful child important lessons amusing example
attractive house exciting movie confusing discovery
convenient place confusing lesson convenient appointment
/
14. 15. 16.
favorite book possible answer possible condition
beautiful child marvelous weather marvelous adventures
opposite way excellent sailor opposite direction
marvelous road difficult language beautiful piano
excellent school favorite picture favorite amusement
Nouns and participles can also modify nouns.
* /
17. ' 18. 19.
gold watch cotton dress winter weather
wool suit leather shoes linen napkin
brick house summer coat cotton stockings
March rain winter hat broken dishes
glass door summer rain golden slippers
cooked meat falling snow lettuce salad
fried eggs singing bird open window
paid bill broken dish married daughter
The examples here are o f adjectives and numerals modifying noun compounds.
2. * ' * "
biggest high school easy grammar book
twenty classrooms oldest weatherman
happy schoolboy pleasant living room
heavy raincoat yellow fountain pen
3. '
biggest fire engine pretty flower garden
oldest newspaper newest filling station
empty wastebasket oldest fairy stories
smallest typewriter finest writing paper
Practice Sentences
There are a few interesting cases in English where the same combination of words
is used both as a noun compound and as a modified noun structure. The noun com
pounds have all developed specialized meanings.
1 . dark room (a room that is dark)
darkroom (special room used in photography)
2 . green house (a house that is green)
greenhouse (a glass structure used for growing plants)
6. Il^ht house (a house that lets in a lot o f light, or that is painted with a light color)
lighthouse (a tall tower with a light for warning ships)
The only reliable guide to noun compounds is the stress combination o f primary-
tertiary stress.
Practice Sentences
These sentences use the noun compounds and word combinations above.
Exercise
In this exercise decide whether your teacher, or the voice on tape, is 3aying A or B
in each group.
1. A. redbird (a special kind o f bird)
B. red bird (any bird that is red)
2. A. cheapskates (people that are stingy)
B. cheap skates (inexpensive skates)
3. A. yellowjacket (a wasp, or bee-like insect)
B. yellow jacket (a yellow coat)
40 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
8 A. H es in the greenhouse.
B. H es in the green house.
9. A. W e saw some blackbirds.
B. W e saw some black birds.
10. A. Do you need a blackboard?
B. Do you need a black board?
1 1 . A. He doesnt like darkrooms.
B. He doesnt like dark rooms.
12 . A. He lives in the lighthouse.
B. He lives in the light house.
13. A. I saw a redbird.
B. I saw a red bird.
14. A. W e thought they were cheapskates.
B. We thought they were cheap skates.
15. A. I saw a yellowjacket.
B. I saw a yellow jacket.
16. A. They were in a longboat.
B. They were in a long boat.
17. A. He lives in the W hile House.
B. He lives in the white house.
18. A. He picked up the hot plate.
B. He picked up the hot plate.
19. A. Have you ever seen a horsefly?
(a particular kind o f fly)
B. Have you ever seen a horse fly?
(a horse that is able to fly)
20. A. Have you ever seen a boardwalk?
(a wooden walkway along the seashore)
WORD COMBINATION STRESS (2) 41
Verbs
Verb-Noun Object
1.
play cards playing cards . .ting letters
write books writing books painting pictures
see John study French eating breakfast
help June visit friends studies English
-- / - '
4. 5.
buy some ice skates reads the newspaper forgot the appointment
had a toothache had a typewriter begin an assignment
bought a toothbrush found the timetable attend a convention
wrote a textbook fixed the light fixture select a companion
7. 8.
bought some playing cards brought some farm equipment
wants a pocket knife called the fire department
/
9. 10.
had a dental appointment saw the fillin g station
bought some smoking tobacco had some swimming practice
Drill
S 1 L
H ave you read the book? Yes. Ive read it.
H ave you seen the movie? Yes. Ive seen it.
Did you study the lesson? Yes. I studied it.
Have you heard the news? Yes. I ve heard it.
Did you write the letter? Yes. I wrote it.
Can you hear the music? Yes. I can hear it.
Did you find your watch? Yes. I found it.
H ave you finished your work? Yes. I've finished it.
Verb-Adverb
1. ' 2 . * '
10. ~ ' * *
come immediately
WORD COMBINATION STRESS (2) 43
Practice Sentences
1 . Sign here. 8. H es coming tonight.
2. Come again 9. They come frequently.
1.
Hes not coming. He is not coming.
Theyre not swimming. They are not swimming.
I m not going. I am not going.
W ere not leaving. W e are not leaving.
Youre not trying. You are not trying.
1. ' 2.
-- /
3.
dont go arent coming doesnt know
cant come cant see it didnt try
wont leave wont do it shouldnt go
wont come dont like it couldnt swim
-- /
/
4. ~ ' 5. 6.
couldnt do it doesnt remember werent listening
wasnt leaving isnt arriving arent finishing
didnt know it wouldnt continue werent studying
1. ' 2. _ ,. 3. '
Please come. Please do it. Please remember.
Please go. Please find it. Please continue.
Please try. Please buy it. Please confirm it.
-- / 5. /
4.
Please dont go. Please dont forget.
Please dont talk. Please dont return.
Please dont run. Please dont begin.
Practice Sentences
Nouns
Nouns as subjects
1. _ '
Birds sing. Johns a boy. B ill is writing.
John knows. Junes a girl. June can do it.
Eds here. J e ffs a child. Bob is coming.
-- / 6. * '
4. 5. '
The books are here. Sugar is sweet. English is easy.
The clock is wrong. Tennis is fun. Children are noisy.
-- /
7. * ' 8.
The razor is sharp. The flower is pretty.
The office is closed. The window is open.
/
9. 0.
The play was excellent. M ister Taylor is tall.
The show was wonderful. Mrs. Johnson is short
/
11 .
Medicine is wonderful.
Africa is beautiful.
Practice Sentences
1. The wind blew. 8. The sweater was beautiful.
2. The children cried. 9. The audience laughed.
3. The river was long. 10. The towel was wet.
4. The package arrived. 11. Education is important.
5. The weather is cold. 12. The engineer came.
6. The car was new. 13. Miss Jones understood.
7. The musician played. 14. The cafeteria is open.
Names
/
i. 2. ~ 3. * '
John Smith Mary Jones Betty Cooper
Phil White Helen Black Bobby Sheeler
Jeff Hall Alan Stone Ellie Hoffman
4. ' * ' 5. * ~~ ' ' '
Roger Henry Jones John Fernandez Thomas
Richard Franklin Gray James Rinaldi Collins
Herbert Thomas Hand June McCallum Rogers
Initials are also used, of course. They, too, have secondary stress.
6- 7 . ------ '
John A. Roberts A. A. Fair
June J. Johnson H. B. Downs
46 STR ESS A N D IN T O N A T IO N P A R T 1
Practice Sentences
Question Words
Question words such as who, what, when, why, how, where usually have secondary
stress.
1. When is he coming? 6. How is your wife?
2. When did you arrive? 7. What does he want?
3. Who is your English teacher? 8. Where do you work?
4. Where did you lose your watch? 9. When did you finish the lesson?
5. Why cant you come? 10. Why didnt Mrs. Jones buy a new dress?
Drill
Now read these sentences. Only the primary stress o f the phrase is marked.
1. They are leaving tomorrow. 11. Drive carefully.
2. He hasnt telephoned. 12. Dont do it.
3. They wont come. 13. W e went early.
4. Please dont stop. 14. Please dont forget your book.
5. English is easy. 15. His television set is new.
6. Education is important. 16. Your book is on the desk.
7. It was good experience. 17. Mrs. Johnson cant come.
8. Shes wearing a cotton dress. 18. The children were crying.
9. Its an amusing story. 19. When are ^ou coming?
10. They are visiting friends. 20. Call the fire department.
6. INTONATION (1)
Declarative Intonation (Tape 8 begins here)
The two most common intonation patterns are (1) the declarative and (2) the question
intonation.
W e have had practice with both kinds o f intonation patterns in previous parts o f the
book. You w ill recall that the declarative intonation begins on pitch level 2, rises to
pitch 3, and then either steps down or glides down to pitch 1. The voice steps down if
one or more syllables follow the primary stress o f the phrase; otherwise it glides down.
W e can also call the declarative intonation the /231/ pattern. The /231/ intonation
pattern is used in affirmative and negative statements, and in questions beginning
with a question word. Here are a few review sentences.
4. She was wearing a red sweater. She was wearing a red sweater.
You can finish the next lesson You can finish the next lesson.
There are two important things to know about sentences that are spoken with two
or more phrases:
(1) Each phrase has one and only one primary stress.
(2) The sound o f the voice does not actually stop between phrases.
There is the slightest kind o f hesitation, but the sound o f the voice
continues. This kind o f hesitation has been called "a shifting o f gears.
Notice in the sentences above with two phrases that at the end o f the first phrase,
the voice does not actually go down to the pitch 1 level, but rather comes down only to
the 2 level. The second phrase is /231/, identical with the basic declarative intonation
pattern you have been practicing. The two phrase intonation pattern can be called the
declarative compound pattern, or the declarative 2 pattern, or it can be simply re
ferred to as the /2321231/ pattern.
This kind of intonation pattern is extremely common, and it is used with sentences
that have two phrases joined by a connecting word such as and, but, or. These connect
ing words have weak or tertiary stress. Below are some sentences o f this kind for
practice.
--------------,--
-------------------------------------
i
-------------------- -------------------1
-------------------- r i
t- - 1 -t
ft was in the newspaper, but T didnt see It.
-- !
___________________________ 'v :
_ -Ii ! _ J~l_
11. T lost the ticket and couldnt find It.
Read the sentences below. Only the primary stress of each phrase is marked.
1. I know John, but I dont know Bill.
2. We saw the movie, but we didnt like it.
3. It was her birthday, and I bought a nice gif t.
4. He speaks English, but he doesnt speak Chinese.
5. I read books, but I dont read magazines.
6. He looks at television, but he doesnt like it.
7. I went to the lecture, but I didnt understand it.
8. She went to the store and bought some groceries.
9. He wrote the letter, but he never mailed it.
10. We went to the m eeting and had a good time.
Direct Address
When a term of direct address is used, the sentence is spoken in two phrases. The
first phrase has the /232/ intonation; the second phrase is usually on the pitch 2 level
with a slight rise at the end.
Listen to these sentences:
1 X
Drill A
Drill B
It is also possible to say the name on the pitch 1 level. When we do this, it is more
formal.
Drill C
Drill D
T
set
1 i
X
What is your name, Tittle boy?
Practice Sentences
Affirm ative and negative statements, directed to someone by name, also have the
same basic intonation pattern /232I2 /
Contrast Drill
In this drill, the sentences in the left column have a name as the direct object of
the verb. The sentences in the right-hand column have names used in direct address.
a s
8. The children cant see Miss White. The children cant see, Miss White.
Exercise
In this exercise you are asked to listen to the sentences below and decide whether
they are like the sentence in Column 1 (name used as object o f the verb with declara
tive intonation /231/); or whether they are like the sentence in Column 2 (name used
as a term of direct address, with intonation 232:2 -* /)
We have written the sentences without stress marks and commas. You w ill have
to listen in order to decide.
Column 1 Column 2
I cant see Mary. I cant see, Mary.
Question Intonation
This is the second o f the two most common intonation patterns. You w ill recall that
the question begins on pitch 2 level, then steps up to pitch 3 level, and then either
steps up or glides to a slightly higher position. This intonation pattern is used with
questions that begin with a modal or auxiliary. Here are a few examples:
Direct Address
When a term of address is used, the question is spoken in two phrases. The first
phrase begins on pitch 2, rises to pitch 3; there is a very slight hesitation, and the
second phrase begins on pitch 3 and ends with a slight rise. Listen to the examples
below:
Practice Sentences
-----1-----
_____ c_ i
Drill A
Drill B
_ *
----- 4--------
May T help you with your coat. John? Mr. Smith
Mrs. Oliver
Miss Green
Dr. Denver
sir
Practice sentences
Read these sentence's. Only the primary stress o f each o f the phrases is marked.
1. Have you read the newspaper, Dad?
2. Did you find your wristwatch,:Mr. Garvin?
3. Have you heard the news, Harriet?
4. Are you ready to go,;Mother?
5. Would you like some tea,:Mrs. Nelson?
6. Have you seen the new movie, Helen?
7. Would you please help the teacher,:John?
8. Do you know what it is,;doctor?
9. Do you know the way, :Mr. Jenkins?
10. Is this your new coat, Betty?
Contrast Drill
In this drill, the sentences in the left column have a name as the object o f the verb.
The sentences in the right column have names used in direct address.
3. Can you see Mrs. Johnson? Can you see, Mrs. Johnson?
n r
4. Did you help Dr. White? Did you help, Dr. White?
X
5. Did you understand Bob? Did you understand, Bob?
X
6. Are you going to write John? Are you going to write, John?
Exercise
In this exercise, listen to the sentences below and decide whether they are like the
sentences in Column 1 or Column 2. No commas or stress marks are written in the
sentences.
Column 1 Column 2
Can you see B ill? Can you see, B ill?
1
1. Do you remember Bill? 1
2. W ill you write Mother? 1
Intensifiers
Practice Sentences
1. She is very pretty. 6. The movie was extremely good.
2. George works very hard. 7. I thought it was very nice.
3. Its quite nice. 8. The play was exceedingly long.
4. The lesson was too easy. 9. The book was very, very good.
5. It was rather difficult. 10. English is very, very easy.
Adverbs of Frequency
Adverbs o f frequency generally come before verbs and have secondary stress.
Practice Sentences
Certain verbs can be followed by the ing-form o f another verb. In this case the verb
preceding the ing-form is spoken with secondary stress.
3.
stop reading enjoy walking stop doing it
start counting begin driving start eating it
hate working advise doing hate washing it
like playing delay going fear hearing it
I f a noun object conies after the ing-form, then the ing-form of the verb has sec
ondary stress. Practice the following.
Practice Sentences
1. Mr. Johnson finished eating dinner.
2. Mary began playing the piano.
3. Dr. James started making his calls.
4. Mrs. Green enjoys cleaning the house.
5. Mr. Rice enjoys playing cards.
6. Betty doesnt like doing the dishes.
7. W e didnt fear hearing the truth.
8. They couldnt delay starting the game.
9. She doesnt enjoy driving a car.
10. Henry wouldnt stop reading the book.
Adjectives
Practice Sentences
1. She wrote a long interesting letter. 6. Jane bought a beautiful green dress.
2. The boy had a pretty orange balloon. 7. He was a funny old man.
3. He gave her a large, expensive gif t. 8. H i was wearing some dirty white shos.
4. It was a big tall tree. 9. It was a beautiful white bird.
5. Hes a tired hungry boy. 10. They bought a charming old house.
WORD COMBINATION STRESS (3) 63
Practice Sentences
Compounds such as these may be combined with still another word to form a longer
compound. These are also noun compounds. In these longer compounds, the stress
pattern o f the first two words is primary-tertiary. The loudest stress o f the third
word is secondary. Here are some examples:
Practice Sentences
When a noun compound is the subject o f the sentence, the primary stress o f the
first word o f the compound is reduced to secondary stress.
Practice Sentences
The stress pattern o f separable two-word verbs is tertiary-primary. The verb has
tertiary stress; the adverb has primary stress.
1. 2. 3.
put on give away do over
take off put aside look over
turn on turn around think over
turn off put away move over
wear out bring about turn over
I f there is a pronoun object, it always comes between the verb and adverb. The
pronoun object always has weak stress.
4. 5. 6.
put it on gave it away did it over
take them off put them aside looked them over
turn it on turn it around thought it over
turn it off put them away move them over
wore them out brought it about turn it over
Practice Sentences
When a noun object follows the two-word verb, the noun receives the primary stress.
The verb has tertiary stress, and the adverb, secondary stress.
Put on your shoes. Put away your toys.
Take off your coat. Do over the lesson.
Turn on the light. Look over the letter.
Practice Sentences
When a two-word verb is separated by a noun object, the noun usually receives the
primary stress.
tried the coat on put his clothes away
gave his toys away looked the information up
called his friend up
Practice Sentences
Object Pronouns
Object pronouns are spoken with either tertiary stress or weak stress. In rapid
speech, when the reduced forms are generally used ('er for her, im for him,ya for you,
em for them) they have weak stress. I f the speech is a little slower and more deliberate,
they will likely have the full form (him, her, you, them) with tertiary stress.
WORD COMBINATION STRESS (4) 67
/
1. ' " 2. 3.
see you cant hear them didnt call us
hear him wont help her wouldnt tell him
call her dont tell us couldnt help her
ask them
help me
-- /
4. * ' * " 5. ~ * ' ' ' 6.
didnt recognize us didnt understand him wouldnt permit 1
-- /
7. ' 8. ' ' 9.
cant recommend him dont remember them didnt telephone
Practice Sentences
Listen to these sentences. The object pronouns are spoken with weak stress.
1. Dont tell him. 6. Didnt they tell you?
2. We didnt see her. 7. What did you tell her?
3. Do you know him? 8. Did you write her?
4. We didnt ask them. 9. He hasnt called us.
5. They didnt recognize us. 10. I cant find them.
1. 2.
do with it know about it
go with us tell about it
read to them write about him
speak to us speak about it
Practice Sentences
1. What did you do with it? 6. I dont like to talk about it.
2. Can you go with us? 7. Did Henry know about it?
3. Bobbys mother reads to him. 8. I want you to listen to me.
4. They <3Idnt speak to us. 9. I hope youll write to us.
5. What did you write about him? 10. What did she say about it?
6fr STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Both pronoun objects usually have weak stress. In more deliberate speech the second
object pronoun may have tertiary stress.
/ -
give it to me
sell it to him
write him for me
help me with it
read it to her
do it for them
buy them for her
send it to us
Practice Sentences
The object pronoun has weak stress in rapid speech; it has tertiary stress in deliber
ate speech. These differences in stress are very slight. The important thing to remem
ber is to say object pronouns with a minor stress (tertiary or weak).
Practice Sentences
1. Please open the window for me. 5. This safe doesnt have a lock on it.
2. The rug has a spot on it. 6. Mary showed her new dress to us.
3. W ill you do a favor for me? 7. He put a piece o f wood under it.
4. M y car has a heater in it.
Again the object pronoun may have tertiary or weak stress depending on the rate
o f speech.
slow rapid. slow rapid
good for you good for you honest about it honest about it
happy for them happy for them glad for you glad for you
useful to me useful to me good on her good on her
nice o f her nice o f her
WORD COMBINATION STRESS (4) 69
Practice Sentences
1. Take this medicine. It' s good for you.
2. June Is getting married. fm very happy for her.
3. Thank you for the knife. It'll be very useful to me.
4. I' m glad Martha helped you. That was very nice o f her.
5. I know he did wrong. But I m glad he was honest about It.
6. She got the lead in the play I m glad for her.
7. Mary bought a new dress. It looks very good on her.
Verbs
Certain verbs can be followed by the word to and the base form o f another verb,
( want to go, like to win). In this case the word to always has weak stress. The verb
used with to usually has tertiary stress.
These verbs can also be used with the word to without the following base form of
another verb (7 want to, I d like to). When they are used in this manner, the word to
often has tertiary stress.
Practice Sentences
Question Words
Question words (who, what, when, where, which, why, how) may have tertiary stress
in certain situations.
When question words are used in indirect questions, they usually have tertiary
stress. Listen to the following examples:
I dont know who he is. Do you know why he is coming?
Do you know what it is? Did she say when she was leaving?
I dont know how to do it. I dont know where It is.
When the question words how, what, which are used before another word to form a
question phrase, they usually have tertiary stress.
How long is the table? Which magazine is yours?
How far is it to the next town? Which one did you want?
W hat book are you reading? How many do you have?
W hat time is he leaving?
When the words one or ones follow adjectives, they always have weak stress.
/ /
2. ' 3.
good one pretty one important one
nice one yellow one attractive one
long one orange one convenient one
black one modern one exciting one
big one happy one amusing one
that one biggest one delightful one
this one smallest one another one
Practice Sentences
1. Do you want the yellow one? 3. Would you take the smallest one?
2. Did he like the modern one? 4. Did she buy the pretty one?
The word than may have either weak or tertiary stress when it is used in com
parative sentences. I f it has tertiary stress, it is pronounced /5aen /; if it has weak
stress, it is pronounced /Son/. It is usually pronounced with weak stress.
Practice Sentences
1. Planes are faster than cars. 6. This one is better than that one.
2. John is taller than Bill. 7. These are more expensive than those.
3. June is shorter than Joyce. 8. Mr. Smith is more interesting than his wife.
4. M ilk is better than tea. 9. The book was more exciting than the movie.
5. This is better than that. 10. Japanese is more difficult than English.
When the word as is used in comparative sentences, it has weak stress and is pro
nounced /az/.
Practice Sentences
Three different intonations can be used with sentences with tag questions with
slight differences in meaning. Two types are given in this section; the third type is
illustrated in Stress and Intonation, P a rt 2, Section 8. Type 1 is the most common.
Type 1 /232:2-^/
l -m
___________________ I__________
He wont do it, will he? No, he wont.
She cant see it, can she? No, she cant.
They werent trying, were they? No, they werent.
Practice Sentences
Special note
As was pointed out, the declarative intonation pattern steps down (-r ~L) from pitch
3 to a lower pitch if one or more syllables follow the one with primary stress in the
phrase; it glides down (_ T \ ) if the stressed syllable is final in the phrase. In this book,
either pattern w ill be taken to mean one or the other, and the appearance o f the step
or the glide pattern at the head o f an exercise w ill not indicate that all the sentences
in the drill necessarily match the example in this respect. The student should auto
matically select the step or the glide pattern according to the position o f the stressed
syllable in the phrase.
A tag question can be directed to someone by name. In this case, the intonation is as
shown.
Practice Sentences
Type 2 / 2 3 1 =31/
When you use this intonation, you are probably a little more sure that you are
going to get the confirmation you expect.
i_ i~ i__
You know her, don 't you ? Yes, I do.
Youve seen him, havent you? Yes, I have.
Youll tell him, wont you? Yes, I will.
Practice Sentences
When a Type 2 tag question is directed to someone by name, the name is usually
said on the pitch 1 level without a rise.
Practice Sentences
Clauses/ 231/
When a clause beginning with a connecting word (before, when, since, because, if,
etc.) comes as the second part of a sentence, the sentence is often said as one phrase
with one primary stress.
C la u s e s -/2321231/
Sentences with clauses are more commonly said in two phrases. The longer the
sentence, the more likely there will be two phrases in the sentence.
+
_ X 1
------------------ r ~ - i
I had finished all my work before the clock struck ten.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson arrived before we were ready to go.
Practice Sentences
- T " 1 '! ^
1. I ll do it if I have time.
2. We changed our clothes:before we ate dinner.
3. T want to see the movie .because I ve heard its very good.
4. He had never seen a football gam e until he went to New York.
5. The children came in the house after they finished playing.
6. The game was over:when I arrived.
7. Youd better wear gloves:when you go skiing.
8. Mrs. Jones listens to the radio:while she gets dinner.
76 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Clauses ~ /2 3 2 ;231 /
When a clause comes as the first element in a sentence, there is usually a slight
rise at the end o f the first phrase.
------ r - p 11
Practice Sentences
i }
Counting
There are several different intonations that can be used when counting.
This is a slow, deliberate way of counting. The voice begins on pitch level 3, and
drops to pitch 1. The voice stops, and then the next number is given in the same way.
INTONATION (2) 77
(2) /3!3;31/
This is a more rapid way o f counting. In this case all the numbers are said on the
pitch 3 level until the last one, which begins on pitch 3 and drops to pitch 1. The /31/
intonation at the end signals that the speaker has finished counting.
Note that the teen numbers, thirteen, fourteen, etc., have the primary stress on the
first syllable when counting.
(3) /2i2i3 1/
This is a more common way o f counting. The voice remains on the pitch 2 level
until the last number which is spoken with a /31/ intonation. The /31/ intonation
at the end indicates that the speaker has finished counting.
I f one or more syllables precede the syllable with primary stress, then the intona
tion o f the last number is /231/.
--- i l - ...... i
nine ten eleven twelve thirteen
forty-one forty-two forty-three forty-four forty-five
three six nine twelve fifteen
(4) /2 ^ \2 ^ i(2)31 /
It is also very common to count on the pitch 2 level, using a rising voice after each
number except the last one. The intonation of the last number is either /31 / (on such
numbers as ten, sixty, twelve) or /231 / on such numbers as twenty-five, fifteen, which
have syllables preceding the primary stress.
78 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
T T r
t X
4- _____ L
Listing /2 1231 /
Practice Sentences
T T
1-
4-
A very few common words and phrases are spoken on the 2 level with a slight rise.
Questions
This type o f question is used when a person is asked to choose between alternatives
and the choice is limited.
X
Do you want potatoes or rice?
Do you want to ride or walk?
Did you talk to John or Bill?
Would you like coffee or tea?
Practice Sentences
Js-4-
I J = t
The intonation o f the second phrase may be /23 ->/ if there are one or more syl
lables which precede the syllable with primary stress.
Practice Sentences
Calling/3 2 /
This type of intonation is used when calling to someone, usually at some distance
away. A mother calling her child outdoors would use this intonation.
Bobby.
Alan.
Johnny.
Helen.
Betty.
Warning or Cautioning/2 3 /
Johnny.
Bobby.
'
Alan.
Betty.
Genevieve.
Practice Dialog 1
^
Customer: Yes. I need some shifts.
= = ^
Salesman: What size do you take?
82 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Customer: Fifteen-thirty-four.
I ^
Salesman: Any particular color?
\ r~ l _ !- r~ l_
Customer: Yes. i want one white shirt and one blue one.
S -
Customer: Fine. I ll take them.
Salesman: A ll right. That w ill be eleven dollars for the two shirts, sir.
I
Customer: Here you are.
IN T O N A T IO N (2) 83
Practice Dialog 2
Bill: Swell.
Number*
When spoken aloud, numbers are divided into phrases according to millions, thou
sands, and hundreds.
When reading numbers in the hundreds, the word and is used after the word hun
dred by some speakers, but not by others.
102 one hundred two one hundred and two
624 six hundred twenty-four six hundred and twenty-four
341 three hundred forty-one three hundred and forty-one
555 five hundred fifty-five five hundred and fifty-five
864 eight hundred sixty-four eight hundred and sixty-four
11 I ^
5,298 fiv e thousand, two hundred ninety-eight
6,452 six thousand, four hundred fifty-two
4,984 four thousand, nine hundred eighty-four
1,111 one thousand, one hundred and eleven
6,765 six thousand, seven hundred sixty-five
_L
1,416,921 one million, four hundred sixteen thousand, nine hundred twenty-one
4,512,846 four million, five hundred twelve thousand, eight hundred forty-six
5,555,555 five million, five hundred fifty-five thousand, five hundred fifty-five
1,202,568 one million, two hundred and two thousand, five hundred sixty-eight
40,102,621 forty million, one hundred and two thousand, six hundred and twenty-one
Fractions
Fractions o f the following types are read with the word and. Practice the following
examples.
14i fourteen and a h a lf
14i fourteen and three -fourths (or) fourteen and three quarters
16* sixteen and "one-fourth (or) sixteen and a quarter
17f seventeen and three-eighths
19f nineteen and four-ninths
12* twelve and "one-filth (or) twelve and a filth
48-j36 forty-eight and three-sixteenths
Fractions written with decimal points may be read in more than one way. Use of
the word point is more common in technical style and for long fractions. Listen to the
following examples:
1.7 one and seven tenths 1.02 one and two hundredths
6.2 4.03
4.3 6.99
5.8 5.45
9.9 3.33
Dates
There are four different elements that can be used when givin g the time and date.
They are:
Tim e Day o f Week Month and Day Year and Era
4:30 a.m. Monday January 15 1966 A.D.
When saying dates, each of the above elements is usually said in a phrase. I f two
of the categories are present, there are two phrases; i f there are three elements,
then there are three phrases, etc. Listen to the following:
one phrase
two phrases
Telephone numbers
In the United States, telephone numbers usually consist of seven numbers. The first
three numbers are read in one phrase, the following four numbers are read in a second
phrase. Listen to the following:
^ i
_______________ i_____________________
414 7597 four one four seven five nine seven
139 1030 one three nine one oh three oh
212 6458 two one two six four five eight
919 4567 nine one nine four five six seven
202 6466 two oh two six four six six
I f you are calling long distance, there is an area code consisting o f three numbers
which precedes the telephone number. These are spoken in a phrase.
212 419 6428 two one two four one nine six four two eight
648 216 5121 six four eight two one six five one two one
Money
Usually the word and is used between the dollars and cents. I f the units are clear
from the context, the words dollars and cents may be omitted.
$4.26 four dollars and twenty-six cents
four twenty-six
Addresses
In the United States, an address most commonly consists o f (1) a number, (2) the
name of a -1 -o r avenue, (3) city, (4) state.
I f the words avenue, lane, or road are used, they generally have the phrase stress:
314 Maple Avenue three fourteen Maple Avenue
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue sixteen hundred Pennsylvania Avenue
919 Riggs Road nine nineteen Riggs Road
1400 Cherry Lane fourteen hundred Cherry Lane
90 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
I f the word street is part of the address, however, the word preceding street generally
has the phrase stress.
5210 Carlton Street fifty-two ten Carlton Street
1919 16th St. nineteen nineteen Sixteenth Street
800 Main St. eight hundred Main Street
1400 Cherry Street fourteen hundred Cherry Street
I f the complete address is given, it is usually spoken in two phrases. The first phrase
consists o f the number and street, and the second contains the city and state. Listen
to the following:
H "1 !- 1 I
315 Maple Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia three fifteen Maple Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia
612 Cherry Lane, Denver, Colorado six twelve Cherry Lane, Denver, Colorado
2112 Ross Street, Buffalo, N ew York twenty-one twelve Ross Street, Buffalo, N ew York
Practice Sentences
When prefixes and suffixes are added to words in English, the position o f the pri
mary word stress often remains unchanged.
The prefix re- when it means again is spoken with tertiary stress. Listen to the
following examples:
remake re-name re-sort re-lay
redo re-mark re-press re-dress
There are many words in English which begin with the letters re, but the re does
not mean again and it is spoken with weak stress. Listen to these examples:
remark repress redress resort
refuse relay redeem reduce
remind
Here are a few pairs o f words. The first column consists o f words with re- prefix.
The second column consists o f words beginning with re spoken with weak stress.
re-prefix
re-mark remark
re-press repress
re-lay relay
re-dress redress
re-sort resort
There are a few other prefixes which are spoken with tertiary stress -d e -, from
pre-, before; pro-, for. Again there are other words which begin with the same letters
and which are spoken with weak stress. Listen to the following examples.
derail deride
decompose decline
Prefix pre-, b e fo re
pre-paid prepared
prejudge pretend
predate predict
Prefix pro-, fo r
pro-labor prolific
pro-French profane
pro-Japanese project
Practice Sentences
The primary stress o f a word sometimes shifts by the addition o f a suffix. Listen to
the following examples:
universe universal
triangle triangular
semicircle semicircular
monosyllable monosyllabic
multiply multiplication
subject subjective
adverb adverbial
NUMBERS AND DATES 93
When the suffixes below are added to words, the primary stress of the word often
shifts. There may also be vowel and final consonant changes.
Suffix
Exercise
Listen to the words below. Mark the primary stress of each word with a pencil. In
some cases the primary stress is on the same syllable; in others it is not.
1 emphasis emphatic 3. introduce introduction
2. hemisphere hemispherical 4. perfect perfectly
94 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Rhythm
Languages have rhythm or tempo. The kind o f rhythm varies from language to
language. In some there is a regular beatda-da-da-da or da-DA-da-DA. In English
the rhythm or tim ing can be said to be irregular. Many of the sentences in this book
have been grouped together to help you gain a sense or "feel of the rhythm of English.
In English the rhythm seems to be governed by the primary, secondary and tertiary
stresses. The weak stressed words or syllables are very short and they are said very
quickly. The addition o f syllables with weak stress is made without disrupting the
rhythm or adding to the total time it takes to say something.
In the following sentences notice that the rhythm is the same in each pair of sen
tences even though the second sentence has one more syllable with weak stress.
Anns book was new. Anns new hat is blue.
Carols book was old. Janes new hat is yellow.
In the sentences below, notice that the rhythm remains the same even though syl
lables with weak stress are in different places in the sentence.
Listen to these sentences and repeat them. Notice that the addition of syllables with
weak stress in the second sentence of each group does not change the rhythm or add
to the total time it takes to say the sentence. However, the addition o f syllables with
strong stress in sentences three and four o f each group does change the rhythm and
add to the time it takes to say them.
Practice Dialog 1
_ l~ - ^
Mr. Johnson: Bill, wed like you to come to dinner next week.
S ^
Mr. White: Fine. What time?
x.
1
Mr. White: Yes. It7s just off Third Street, isnt it?
Mr. Johnson: Thats right. Very well. W ell see you next Wednesday.
Practice Dialog 2
Teacher: Very good. And what does the word remark mean?
~i
Mary: It means "to make a comment .
Mary: Yes. "The teacher remarked that she re-marked the papers.
98 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Teacher: Very good. John, can you give me another word using the re prefix?
Teacher: Fine. Are there any other pairs of words like this?
The drills which you have been practicing in this book have been marked for rather
slow, careful speech.
When native Americans speak, however, the stresses in some cases would be a little
different from those you have learned. This is especially true with certain kinds of
words that have minor stress and which we have marked with tertiary stress, such as
pronoun objects-, certain verb forms and prepositions. A number of words or categories
of words tend to have weak stress instead o f tertiary stress. A t the same time, these
words often undergo a vowel change when under weak stress. We call words which are
spoken with a weaker stress than normal and which have a vowel change reductions.
For example, in conversation, a native speaker would be likely to say
I heard im rather than 7 heard him. The writing system represents some of these re
duced forms in certain standard ways, such as im for him; er for her, em for them;
gonna for going to. In order to comprehend English spoken by native speakers, it is
necessary to have some fam iliarity with these forms. The basic intonation patterns you
have been learning do not change in the manner that the stresses do.
This section will give you the opportunity to hear many o f the reductions spoken at
normal conversational speed.
Pronoun Subjects
We, I, she, they: These pronouns usually retain the same form, but they are often
spoken with weak stress. I and we may combine with the auxiliary. That is, the
auxiliary and the pronoun may be spoken with no pause between them so that they are
spoken as one word: Examples:
Am I invited?
Do we know?
Were we on time7
Couldnt she go?
Arent they ready?
99
100 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
He /hiy/* usually becomes /iy / and combines with the auxiliary. The hyphen (-)
in the sentences below is used to show that two words are spoken as one. Examples:
does-he /daziy/; did-it /diclit/.
Listen to both pairs o f sentences below.
Slow, careful speech Rapid speech
Does he know? Does-he know?
Did he come? Did-he come?
Is he gone? Is-he gone?
Was he here? Was-he here?
He doesnt know, does he? He doesnt know, does-he?
He didnt come, did he? He didnt come, did-he?
He could do it, couldnt he? He could do it, couldnt-he?
He was here, wasnt he? He was here, wasnt-he?
I t I it I usually combines with the auxiliary and has weak stress.
Slow, careful speech R apid speech
Did it arrive? Did-it arrive?
Wasnt it easy? Wasnt-it easy?
Has it come? Has-it come?
Hasnt it arrived? Hasnt-it arrived?
* For a summary of the phonemic symbols used in this lesson, please see page xvii.
REDUCED FORMS 101
After the sound It/, you is usually pronounced /ca/ or /cuw/. Examples: dont-you
/donca/ or /downcuw/; havent-you /haevanca/ or /h4vancuw/.
Wont you come? Wont-you come?
Dont you know? Dont-you know?
Havent you heard? Havent-you heard?
Couldnt you go? Couldnt-you go?
Pronoun Objects
Me and us usually retain the same form, but they may be spoken with weak stress.
Us may combine with the preceding verb.
H i saw me.
They heard us.
They found me.
He wrote u$.
H im /him/ usually becomes /im/ and combines with preceding verb.
H er /har/ usually becomes /ar/ and combines with the verb.
I t /it/ is spoken with weak stress and usually combines with the verb.
Listen to these sentences.
Slow, careful speech Rapid speech
I heard him. I heard-him.
We saw her. W e saw-her.
I did it. I did-it.
We wrote him. W e wrote-him.
I told her. I told-her.
He called her. He called-her.
Them /fteml becomes /5am/ and may be spoken with weak stress. It may also lose the
th sound and be spoken /am/. This form, too, may combine with the verb.
102 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
The pronoun forms your, his, her are often spoken with weak stress and pronounced
/yar/, /iz/, and /ar/. Your, when it follows the sound Id/ is usually pronounced /jar/;
when it follows It/, it becomes /car/. Listen to the following sentences spoken rapidly.
Question Words
After question words like who, when, where, why, the auxiliary did often becomes
simply Id/. Certain pronoun forms combine with the Id/, and the whole expression of
question word - did - pronoun is spoken as though it were one word. The final It/
of what, also, is frequently lost when this word is next to did, and only the Id/ o f the
auxiliary is heard. Listen to the following.
Where-did-he go? /hwerdiy gow/
Why-did-you do-it? /hwayja duwlt/
When-did-it happen? /hwendlt hpen/
Who-did-he ask? /huwdiy aesk/
What-did-he do? /hwadiy duw/
Why-did-you go? ,/hwayjuw gow/
When-did-you tell her? /hwenja telar/
Where-did-you see-it? /hweija siyit/
Why-did-he do that? /hwaydiy duw Saet/
What-did-I tell you? /hwaday tel yuw/
Listen also to the following sentences which use question words with a form o f the
verb be.
Where-are-you going? /hwerya goir)/
Whats-he reading? /hwatsiy riydlr|/
Why-are-you stopping? /hwayarya stapiq/
When-is-he coming? /hwenziy kamiq/
Who-is-he calling? /huwziy kalirj/
Verb Forms
Havens an auxiliary in compound verb phrases
In verb phrases such as I could have gone, the word have is often pronounced /av/
or /a/ with weak stress.
Slow, careful speech Rapid speech
I could have gone. T could-have gone.
You shouldnt have told me. You shouldnt-have told me.
He wouldnt have known. He wouldnt-have known.
I could have told you. I could-have told you.
Verbs ending in -ing.
In rapid speech, it is common to hear the final -ing o f verbs spoken as /in/.
Where are you going? Where are you goin?
What are you doing? What are you doin?
Are you leaving? Are you leavin?
Theyre playing tennis. Theyre playin tennis.
104 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Prepositions
Certain prepositions also have reduced forms when they are pronounced with weak
stress.
Of: This preposition is used w ith containers and units o f measurement. It is usually
pronounced Id/ and is joined to the preceding noun. Before a following vowel sound,
it is commonly pronounced /av/. Listen to these examples.
Slow, careful speech R apid speech
For: This is pronounced /for/ with weak stress, when the following noun or pronoun
is stressed.
for me for me
for him for him
for John for John
for two dollars for two dollars
Mother: No. Get two cans o f corn, a bottle o f catsup, a head o f lettuce, and
a ja r o f pickles.
I think thats all.
June: O.K. Ill be right back.
E. Mr. Green: Hi, Tom. Why werent you at the meeting last night?
Mr. White: I had to work. How did it go?
Mr. Green: O.K., I guess.
A re you goin g bowling tonight?
Mr. White: No. Im not goin g to go.
I have to work again.
Mr. Green: W hy dont you take a little time off?
You ought to get some exercise, you know.
Mr. White: I know. But well be finished with this project tomorrow.
Then Ill be free again.
Mr. Green: Have you eaten lunch yet?
Mr. White: No. I m not goin g to eat today.
I ll buy you a cup o f coffee though.
Mr. Green: O.K. L ets go.
WORD LIST
A few o f the most productive word stress patterns are illustrated below. Also listed
are numerous examples o f two-word verbs and noun compounds. In some lists examples
o f nouns, verbs and adjectives are given separately; in others they are grouped to
gether alphabetically. Some words, o f course, have variant pronunciations and differ
ing stress patterns. These words are not singled out in the lists. Mustache, for example,
appears in the primary-tertiary list as /mastaes/; program in the same list as /prow-
graem/. The fact that they may be also pronounced /mastaes/ and /prowgram/ is not
noted.
A very few examples o f adjective and verb compounds with primary stress on the
first element appear at the end o f the listings.
A ll lists, o f course, are far from exhaustive.
The table below shows the patterns that are illustrated in the lists.
List No. Pattern L is t No. Pattern
1 / 13
2 14 - '
3 / 15 - /
4 / 16
5 17 / - (noun compounds)
6 / / - 99
18
7 /. 19 / - 99 99
8 / 20 / - 99 99
9 21 / - 99 99
10 22 / - 99 99
List 1: /
N ouns
List 2:
N ouns
List 4: ' *
List 6: * ' *
List
List 8: /
List 9: '"
List 11:
N ouns enterprise substitute classify graduate operate
envelope telegram compensate gratify pacify
acrobat exercise telegraph complicate hesitate paralyze
alcohol gasoline telephone compromise illustrate penetrate
alkali handicap telescope concentrate imitate qualify
alphabet holiday uniform constitute immigrate realize
altitude institute universe contemplate implement recognize
appetite interview criticize indicate regulate
astronaut latitude Verbs cultivate interview sacrifice
atmosphere magazine decorate intimate satisfy
attitude magistrate advertise dedicate irritate specify
avalanche merchandise advocate demonstrate isolate stimulate
benefit millionaire agitate dominate justify substitute
boulevard multitude alternate educate legislate telegraph
candidate paradise analyze elevate magnify telephone
catalogue paragraph benefit estimate manifest terrorize
circumstance photograph calculate execute multiply testify
compromise politics celebrate exercise nominate violate
democrat sacrifice civilize fascinate notify
116 STRESS AND IN T O N A T IO N PART 1
List 13:
List 15 - /
N ou n Com pounds
List 17: '
apple tree carving knife fingerprint nursery school rifle range tablespoon
baggage car chewing gum fishing rod orange juice riverbank tabletop
barbershop chocolate bar flower shop overcoat riverboat tennis balls
basketball clothing store fountain pen paper boy roller skates tennis court
bathing suit coffee cream grammar book parking lot salad fork textile mill
beauty shop coffee cup grocery store parking space shaving cream thunderstorm
bowling ball cookie jar hiding place picture book shower soap traffic light
bowling shoes dairy barn hobby shop playing cards steering wheel underwear
boxing gloves dinner plate language school pocketknife storybook volleyball
boxing ring dressing gown laundry room postage stamp sugar bowl waiting room
butchers shop fairy tale living room problem child summertime water glass
butter knife fencing mask meeting place punching bag swimming pool water skis
camping gear ferris wheel movie star razor blades swimming suit weatherman
candy store fingernail music box riding horse tablecloth wedding bells
army rations doctors office flower garden mountain climber science teacher
beauty parlor drama critic garden party music teacher storyteller
business client drinking fountain grammar lesson office worker swimming practice
chapter heading engine trouble heating system pepper shaker tennis racquet
city dweller English teacher honor student picnic table tissue paper
cleaning fluid factory worker horror story prison sentence trumpet player
dancing partner fairy story language teacher record changer water faucet
dentists office figure skating mischief-maker rental agent water-skiing
dinner hour filling station moneylender rocket launcher wrapping paper
writing paper
118 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
-Ust_22> / -
List 23: Noun Compounds - Longer Forms with Primary Stress on First Element
Last 25: Adjective Compounds with Primary Stress on the First Element
The answers given here to the various exercises in the book are based on the accompanying tapes.
(page 11)
Pa rt 2
Exercise 1: '
1. angry
2. above
3. professor
4. belief
5. decided
6. wanted
7. movie
8. hotel
9. enjoy
10. example
11. remembered
12. people
13. forget
14. because
15. roses
Exercise 3: Yes. All the words have the same stress pattern.
120
K EY TO E X E R C IS E S 121
E x e r c is e 4:
Sam e D iffe r e n t
1 . refer
reefer
2. table
pencil
3. professor
architect
4. accept
accent
5. comforting
exciting
6. amusing
important
winter
weather
Exercise 5:
1. mon-ey 6. per-mit 11. con-tin-ue 16. noth-ing
2. per-haps 7. em-ploy-ment 12. in-d us-trial 17. a-mus-ing
3. se-lec-tion 8. mar-vel-ous 13. h a p- pi-ly 18. pos-si-bly
4. tem- per-a-ture 9. mod-ern 14. be-cause 19. de-ter
5. af-ter 10. per-ish-a-ble 15. for-tu-nate-ly 20. con-clu-sion
Exercise 1:
first syllable second syllable third syllable
1. understand
2 northeastern
3. telephone
4. library
'
5.
6. infection
7. hemisphere
8. emphasis
9. multiply
10. idea
122 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
15. unfeeling
Exercise 3:
Exercise 4:
Same Different
1. machine X
picture
2. telephone
X
understand
3. dictionary
X
television
4. above X
early
5. diplomat X
engineer
6. forty X
fourteen
7. coming X
working
8. telephone X
operate
9. emphasizes X
exercises
10. ago X
above
11. arriving X
department
12. understand X
diplomat
-
KEY TO EXERCISES 123
Same* Different
13. calendar X
remember
14. Africa X
Alaska
15. result X
machine
16. obey X
study
17. information X
necessary
18 weather X
summer
19. mistake X
error
20. material X
experience
21. telephone X
televise
22. animal X
direction
23. experience X
information
24. electrician
electrical X
25. mechanical
mechanizes X
Exercise 1: The two that are not noun compounds are 6. red shoes, 9. wool suit.
Exercise 2: No key.
Exercise 4: No key.
124 STRESS AND INTONATION PART 1
Exercise 5:
Exercise: 1. A, 2. B, 3. B, 4. B, 5. A, 6. B, 7. A, 8. A, 9. B, 10. A,
11. B, 12. A, 13. B, 14. A, 15. B, 16. B, 17. B, 18. A, 19. B, 20. A.
Part 6 (page 55)
Column 1 Column 2
1. I dont know Mr. Jones. X
2. John doesnt remember, Helen. X
3. I havent written, Mother. X
4. She hasnt called Mary. X
Exercise
Column 1 Column 2
Exercise
1. emphasis emphatic
2. hemisphere hemispherical
3. introduce introduction
4. perfect perfectly
5. condition conditioning
6. industry industrious
7. appreciate appreciation
8. lucky luckily
9. imagine imagination
10. imagine imaginative
11. conclude conclusion
12. conclude conclusive
13. valid vali&ity
COLLIER-MACMILLAN ENGLISH PROGRAM